Hockey game playing piece

ABSTRACT

A hockey game goalie accessory which, by appropriate mechanisms, is enabled to turn about nearly on its own vertical axis on one side of a simulated cage at the instance of a rod extending from the frame for the game, which is finger manipulated, to turn on its own axis in the horizontal plane. The goalie piece is rotated on a sweep arm which serves additionally to provide a sweep member on the other side of the cage which is used simultaneously to strike a puck in that location and thereby send it to a place on the game board where play may be resumed in the normal fashion.

United States Patent Payne, Jr. May 14, 1974 [54] HOCKEY GAME PLAYING PIECE 199,125 6/l923 Great Britain 273/94 F [75] In e tor: Calv n L. ayne, Jr, 492,624 3/1954 Italy 273/85 E Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham [73] Assignee. 'llgudoilMetrallxlroducts Corporation, Assistant Examiner Harry G strappeno r00 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Borst & Borst [22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,990 ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl 273/85 A, 273/85 B A hockey game goalie accessory which, by appropri- 51 Int. Cl. A63f 7/06 ate mechanisms, is enabled to turn about nearly on its 581 Field of Search 273/85, 94, 127, 126 vertical axis on one Side of a Simulated Cage at the instance of a rod extending from the frame for the 5 References Cited game, which is finger manipulated, to turn on its own UNITED STATES PATENTS axis in the horizontal plane. The goalie piece is rotated 7 on a sweep arm which serves additionally to provide a 52 53? 3:33: g 5557 4 32 sweep member on the other side of the cage which is 2230743 2/1941 :2: e a 273/85 A X used simultaneously to strike a puck in that location 3 586 327 6/1971 Hjelmouist21111111121.7. 273/85 B and thereby Send it to a Place the game board i where play may be resumed in the normal fashion. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 543,795 7/1957 Canada 273/85 A 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures EATENTEDRA 14 974 SHEET 2 0f HOCKEY GAME PLAYING PIECE The invention relates to game board accessories and, in particular, to elements of an action type hockey game which control or influence the puck in the vicinity of the cage.

In the action type of hockey game the playing pieces are controlled in their movements within limits determined by slotted areas formed in playing surface, some problems have arisen in returning the playing puck to the play areas, that is, to within the vicinity of these areas once it has been struck into the marginal area of the playing surface. Baffles and deflection plates have been previously used, see U. S. Pat. No. 2,981,542, but they are only effective when struck directly by the puck in play. The region behind the simulated cage is a difficult area from which to return the puck without the direct intervention of the player due to the fact that the puck will frequently come to rest there which effectively precludes the use of a deflection plate for its intended purpose. Permanently stationing an extra playing piece in this region would impair the illusion of reality that the game is supposed to impart. The presentinvention is directed to a solution of the problem.

In general, the improvement resides in a unique construction of one of the hockey game playing pieces, namely, the goalie. A principal feature of the construction is the provision of a rotatable swing arm which serves doubly to swivel the goalie in front of his cage as a guard against a pucks entry therein and to sweep the region behind the cage for the purpose of returning the puck to play when necessary.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism of a game piece.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated on reading the following description of one embodiment thereof which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a partial perspective view showing one end of a game board at which the improved goalie is situated;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, hockey goalie 6 is removably mounted to one end of sweep arm 8 rotatable on shaft 10. The latter is rotatably supported in a vertical bearing 12 of right angle bracket 14. The horizontal bearing 16 of bracket 14 rotatably supports action control rod 18 which extends through the frame 20 of an action type hockey game and having knob 22 for turning by the player. Arcuately oriented coil 24 is attached to one end of the control rod 18 and the shaft 10. This arrangement permits transmitting a horizontal rotary action by the player to a vertical rotary action in a simple and positive manner. The bracket 14 is mounted in the puck tray 26 below opening 28 of playing surface 30 and the cage 32.

The bottom of cage 32 is spaced from the surface 30 as at 34 permitting the rearward extension and sweep action of the sweep arm 8. The underside of arm 8 is provided with slide elements 36 and 38 to permit frictionless motion on surface 30. The sweep arm 8 extends rearwardly over the playing surface 30 of the game which extends under cage 20 and to the rear thereof. The rear portion 40 of sweep arm 8 is adapted to strike a playing puck which has been struck by a player piece in such a manner as to pass into the region behind the cage 32. Turning rod 18 by the player serves, therefore, two independent functions, namely, that of defending the cage against a score and assuring improved continuous play.

Various modifications of the invention, one form of which is described above, may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and principle of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an action type hockey game, a playing surface, a frame bounding said surface, a cage member having at least one open side wall and a wall opposite said side wall the bottom edge of which is spaced vertically from said surface and horizontally from said frame, a sweep arm extending through said open side Wall and the vertical space at the rear of said cage, said sweep arm being mounted on a vertical shaft pivotally mounted in said surface, and means for rotating the terminal portions of said arm in the front and rear areas, respectively, of the cage and above and in close proximity to said surface.

2. In an action type hockey game as defined in claim 1, wherein the sweep arm behind the cage terminates short of said frame and said means includes a control rod extending through the frame underneath the playing surface and a flexible coupling connecting said rod to said shaft. 

1. In an action type hockey game, a playing surface, a frame bounding said surface, a cage member having at least one open side wall and a wall opposite said side wall the bottom edge of which is spaced vertically from said surface and horizontally from said frame, a sweep arm extending through said open side wall and the vertical space at the rear of said cage, said sweep arm being mounted on a vertical shaft pivotally mounted in said surface, and means for rotating the terminal portions of said arm in the front and rear areas, respectively, of the cage and above and in close proximity to said surface.
 2. In an action type hockey game as defined in claim 1, wherein the sweep arm behind the cage terminates short of said frame and said means includes a control rod extending through the frame underneath the playing surface and a flexible coupling connecting said rod to said shaft. 